Copper Dipper c. 1937

George V. Vezolles made this picture of a 'Copper Dipper' with watercolor. It feels like he's conjuring the object right in front of our eyes. The dipper emerges from a field of white. The inside of the bowl shimmers like hot magma, a blend of reds, oranges, and browns. Did Vezolles layer the watercolors, allowing them to bleed and merge? I love how the rough edges create an illusion. Looking at this I think about Morandi and his paintings of bottles and jars; banal objects imbued with quiet contemplation. It's like Vezolles is turning the act of observation into a kind of meditation. I wonder, was he interested in industry? Was he celebrating the tools that shape our world? Or maybe, like Morandi, he was just drawn to the simple beauty of everyday things. Artists are always looking, always learning from each other across time. Vezolles makes me want to slow down, to really see the world around me, and to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.